GHK DXD Chapter 2 Meet the Daughter-in-Laws

All character's are 18 years old or older

The Hyoudou family moved into the living room. The dishes had been cleaned, the chaos momentarily subdued, now it was time to question just who these girls were.

Issei stood beside his parents, arms crossed and brow twitching nervously. Across from them, three very unique girls sat on the couch.

Nyaruko was still bouncing slightly in her seat, humming happily and clinging to one of the couch cushions. Kaguya sat with the grace and poise of nobility, back straight, arms folded within her sleeves, her expression unreadable. Evangeline reclined on the far end with legs crossed, sipping black tea, giving side-eye to everyone with disdain.

Issei gulped. ‘Why do I feel like I brought home ticking time bombs?’

Across the room, Miki Hyoudou crossed her arms, her expression dead serious. The warm, smiling mom from dinner was now the woman of the house—and she wanted answers.

Gorou, meanwhile, leaned against the wall. “Still not over the ‘ice magic’ thing,” He muttered.

“That’s nothing compared to having the world freeze.” Issei replied under his breath.

Finally Miki stepped forward, her eyes sharp. “As his mother, I’d like to properly get to know my new daughters-in-law.”

Issei choked on air. “M-Mom?! Daughters-in-law?! W-We’re not even dating!!”

Kaguya didn’t miss a beat. “Technically, I am the legal wife. The others are concubines.”

Nyaruko waved eagerly. “Oho~! Mom-in-law wants to know more about me? I accept this responsibility with pride!”

Eva didn’t even look up. “I’m just here against my will.”

“Can I go first?! Can I?! I was the first to be summoned after all! Number one waifu, reporting in~!” Nyaruko chirped, bouncing in place.

“Please don’t call my mom that…” Issei muttered.

“I think it’s adorable,” Miki replied flatly. “Go ahead, dear.”

Nyaruko practically sprang to her feet and spun on the spot before throwing both hands to her hips and puffing out her chest.

“Okay! So~! My name is Nyaruko, and I am an eldritch alien species from beyond your understanding of reality! I work for the Space Defense Agency, specializing in Space CQC—that’s Close Quarters Combat, by the way. My combat rating is top-tier in the multi-galactic registry!”

The Hyoudous stared.

Issei slowly turned to his father. “Did she just say she was an alien?”

Gorou nodded with the numbness of a man who had given up trying to understand. “She sure did, son.”

“But you look totally normal,” Miki said, blinking. “You’re not… green. Or slimy.”

Nyaruko giggled, twirling once. “Of course not! This is my human disguise! I made it extra kawaii to fit in!” She leaned closer to Issei, eyes sparkling. “If you want, darling, I can show you my real form~”

Issei’s blood turned to ice. “...Wait, what?”

“My true form,” Nyaruko said with the pride of someone talking about their favorite Halloween costume, “is a writhing mass of shapeshifting cosmic matter!”

Everyone froze.

Miki turned pale. Gorou stepped back. Kaguya’s eyes narrowed in visible alarm.

Eva sat up straighter. “Honestly I kind of want to see it. For science.”

Nyaruko tilted her head, and smiled brightly. “Oh, you don’t want me to show my true form. Your eyes would bleed, your brains would invert, and your dimension would fold like cheap origami!”

Miki and Gorou took another step back. In sync.

Issei’s eye twitched. “You’re joking… right?”

She leaned in closer, her eyes glowing just faintly, eldritch light shimmering like a galaxy in her pupils. “Would you like to find out? If it’s you, I promise it won’t hurt~.”

“NOPE!” Issei nearly fell over. “We’re good! Stay cute! Cute is safe!”

Even Kaguya was unsettled. “And here I thought I had the most dramatic background.”

Eva sipped her tea. “So you're telling us you’re a cosmic horror in disguise, and your job is… what again?”

“I’m a Space Police!” Nyaruko answered proudly. “Think Intergalactic TSA, but cuter and with more punching.”

She winked and threw a heart pose in Issei’s direction. He turned beet red.

Gorou cautiously raised a hand. “So… what exactly is your mission?”

“Ah, excellent question!” Issei added. “Nyaruko?”

She froze mid-pose. Her smile flickered. “Uhhhh… I forgot.”

Miki blinked. “You forgot your mission?”

“Well technically,” Nyaruko said with a sheepish smile, scratching her cheek, “the original me is still doing it in another universe. I’m just the variant that got summoned here. But I’m sure it was super important! Probably saving a planet or two.”

Issei squinted. “So why did you even agree to be summoned here?”

“Because I was bored~!” she declared. “I thought it sounded fun. And now…”

She clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward with a dazzling smile.

“My new mission is to make you fall madly, hopelessly in love with me and become a real couple~!”

Silence.

Steam visibly poured out of Issei’s ears. “W-What kind of mission is that?!”

Miki blinked, unsure if she should laugh or panic. “Well… she’s certainly enthusiastic.”

Gorou gave Nyaruko a slow, impressed nod. “Girl’s got guts.”

“She’s deranged,” Kaguya muttered, glaring.

“I’m passionate!” Nyaruko corrected.

“She’s loud,” Evangeline sighed.

“I’m devoted and all yours, darling~!” Nyaruko squealed, already glomping on Issei again.

Gorou clapped once. “Well! That’s a lot. So! Who’s next?”

Miki glanced between Kaguya and Eva with nervous politeness. “Would either of you ladies like to go next?”

Evangeline sighed, lowering her cup slowly. Her red eyes narrowed and gestured subtly toward the middle. “Go on, royalty,” She murmured. “Might as well remind everyone how you’re better than us.”

Kaguya responded with a satisfied hum, straightening her posture with the grace of a ruler addressing her court. Her back was perfectly straight, chin high, eyes half-lidded in cold confidence.

Clearing her throat softly, Kaguya began, her voice smooth and imperious like silk-wrapped steel. “My name,” she said with a regal nod, “Is Kaguya Houraisan. I am the exiled Princess of the Moon, of the now-dissolved Lunarian Royal Court. I am over thirteen centuries old and possess the gift and curse of immortality.”

The room went still.

Miki blinked.

Issei tilted his head. “Wait, wait—you’re also an alien?!”

Kaguya nodded solemnly. “A Lunarian. I hail from the moon. Though the other me, currently resides in disgrace due to unjust punishment and envious nobles.”

“What punishment were you given?” Gorou asked carefully.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “For the crime of consuming the Hourai Elixir, the immortality potion, forbidden even among the divine. As punishment, I was first executed but seeing as I couldn’t die, they banished me to Earth. And...”

She paused.

“…This form I wear—" She gestured lightly to her petite figure “—has not aged a day in over a thousand years.”

Miki tilted her head. “So… you’re like… stuck in that age?”

Kaguya sighed dramatically, as if the weight of her ancient grief still pressed down on her delicate shoulders.

“Yes. I am forever trapped in this body. But despite my appearance, I demand to be treated as the mature and powerful woman I am. Especially you, my husband.”

Issei looked away awkwardly.  ‘She's very serious about that. Still not a busty onee-san, though…’

“Can you tell me more about you then?” Miki asked, trying her best to play along.

Kaguya raised a delicate finger. “Tea. Poetry. The pursuit and acquisition of priceless treasures beyond mortal comprehension.”

Miki blinked again. “That’s… a list.”

“And your abilities?” Gorou added, out of politeness.

Kaguya allowed herself a small, mysterious smile. “I command the powers of eternity and the instantaneous.”

The Hyoudous stared.

“Which means…?” Issei asked slowly.

She sighed, ever so slightly exasperated. “I can manipulate time.”

“Ah,” Miki said, nodding.

Gorou stared at her. “Like… slow it down?”

Kaguya nodded. “Stop it, accelerate it, anchor things beyond it. Time is my plaything.”

Issei was already imagining what kind of wild power that looked like in battle. ‘Wait, if she could stop time... would she ever let me sleep in?’

There was a pause—until Miki tilted her head thoughtfully. “Wait a second… Kaguya. Isn’t that the name of a Japanese fairy tale? The one about the moon princess found in a bamboo stalk?”

Gorou snapped his fingers. “Right! The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter! That’s it!”

Kaguya blinked. “What did you say?”

Issei perked up. “Yeah, it’s like one of the oldest Japanese myths ever. You’re literally named after—”

Kaguya’s eyes lit up. A slow, smug grin curled across her lips. “A legend… about me?”

She straightened even taller, if such a thing was possible. Her expression now gleamed with arrogance bordering on divine.

“So even in this world. They know of the great me.” She placed a hand against her chest. “I am not only immortal—I am immortalized.” She turned to Miki and Gorou. “As I expected, I am the most perfect being and all should just bow before me.”

Eva coughed pointedly. “Let’s not encourage that.”

Nyaruko giggled. “Oh no~ She’s going into diva mode.”

Kaguya nodded once, proudly. “As they should. Husband can’t you see, I am the most suitable to be your wife.”

“I’m still not a lolicon.” Issei stubbornly says.

Kaguya whipped her head toward him, eyes ablaze. “I am not a loli—!”

“Still looks like one,” Nyaruko chimed in unhelpfully.

Eva sipped her tea, unimpressed. “So I suppose it’s my turn now.”

She exhaled slowly through her nose, then set her delicate porcelain teacup down with a soft but firm clink.

She sat up straighter on the couch, her blue eyes gleaming faintly in the low light of the room. A presence filled the space cool, composed, and laced with a sharp edge of bitterness.

“My name is Evangeline A.K. McDowell,” She said, her voice calm and icy. “Unlike the gremlin beside me or the space princess over there, I was originally human.”

Nyaruko gasped dramatically. “Gremlin?! I am offended!”

Evangeline ignored her. “I was human… until I was cursed. Forcefully turned into a true vampire.”

Miki’s eyes widened slightly, Gorou’s posture straightened, and even Issei leaned in a little.

“I’ve lived for over six centuries,” Eva continued, tone even and detached. “And in that time, I mastered the arcane arts. I am a witch in full command of several branches of magic—ice, shadow, blood, and a few... darker things.” She glanced toward Gorou and Miki. “I won’t demonstrate those here. This house wouldn’t survive.”

“Appreciated,” Miki said faintly.

Issei swallowed. “So… why did you become a witch?”

Evangeline’s gaze darkened, her voice dipping with old venom.

“To exact revenge. On the one who made me what I am.”

There was a pause.

“Did you get it?” Issei asked softly.

“No.” Her tone was clipped, final. “And unfortunately it didn’t end there.” She leaned back into the couch, arms folding neatly. “While on my travels to kill the one who cursed me, I was betrayed. By someone I trusted and loved.”

Gorou’s brow furrowed. “What… did they do to you?”

Eva’s eyes flicked toward him, cold and sharp. “He cursed me again. But this time he made me into a joke.” She scoffed, a quiet, bitter laugh. “I was bound, physically sealed. To a school and  forced to live as a student that could never leave. Watching time pass around me.”

A chill settled in the room.

Even Nyaruko’s usual cheer faded for a moment.

“That’s…” Issei said, stunned. “That’s really messed up.”

“I know,” she said simply.

“Wait,” Miki said slowly, “So the version of you that agreed to this gacha thing…?”

Eva exhaled through her nose again.

“She thought this system would help her escape that fate. That it would let her start over in a new world, free of curses.”

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

“She didn’t realize only a copy would be summoned.”

For the first time since she arrived, Evangeline looked… sad or tired.

“I’m not that Evangeline. I’m just a piece of her—cut loose and dropped into this insane setup.”

Silence.

Then Issei, stepping slightly closer, spoke up. “Does that mean… you don’t want to be here?”

Eva opened one eye. It glimmered blue.

“I didn’t say that. My circumstances may be artificial, but I am real. My choices are my own. And for now…” She glanced around the room, at the Hyoudous, at Nyaruko being weird, at Kaguya prideful form, and finally back at Issei. “This is far from the worst place I’ve ever been stuck.”

Nyaruko threw her arms up. “That’s practically affection coming from her!”

Kaguya scoffed. “What a tragic tale. Mine is still better.”

Eva rolled her eyes.

Issei, meanwhile, could only think of how sad her life must have been.

The mood in the Hyoudou living room had finally settled. With all three girls having finished telling their stories, there was a brief silence.

Then, as if on cue, three pairs of eyes turned in unison to Issei.

Issei gulped as he noticed all three girls now looking directly at him—Nyaruko smiling expectantly, Kaguya arching a delicate eyebrow, and Evangeline resting her chin on her fist with a calculating stare. “...What?”

Kaguya crossed her arms. “It is your turn now, husband. You’ve heard our pasts. We should know yours.”

Eva arched her brow. “If we’re stuck in this house and, apparently, your life, then yes. I want to know what I’m dealing with.”

Nyaruko beamed. “I already know everything I need~ But I wouldn’t mind knowing more about you, darling~!”

Issei frowned. “But... you three aren’t actually stuck here, right? I mean, if you don’t like it, can’t you just leave? I know I won't force you to stay.”

He hoped. Oh gods, he hoped.

Kaguya’s sharp gaze turned on him like a guillotine dropping. “If I could leave, I would have left the moment you said the word 'oppai' in front of royalty.”

Eva sighed, rubbing her temple. “As your summons, we’re bound to you. Spiritually, magically. If you die, we disappear. End of story.”

Issei blinked. “Wait, what?! That sounds like a really bad contract for you guys!”

“We didn’t write the rules,” Eva muttered. “Your cosmic sugar mommy did.”

“Shub-Niggurath~” Nyaruko sang.

Issei’s face paled. “Seriously?” Issei’s stomach turned. “That’s not fair to any of you.”

“It is concerning,” Evangeline muttered. “Which is why we’re going to find out what’s so special about you.”

Kaguya nodded. “Eventually.”

“But first,” Miki said suddenly, from behind him, arms folded in a familiar mom-mode stance, “you’re going to tell these girls about yourself.”

Issei turned. “Mom—”

“No secrets or lies.” she said firmly. “If you’re going to be in a relationship, you start with honesty.”

Gorou gave a thumbs up. “This is the secret to any romance, son.”

Issei groaned. “You guys are way too into this.”

But they weren’t budging.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine. But... you can’t freak out. Especially you two,” he said, pointing at Eva and Kaguya.

Kaguya looked offended already. “How dare you assume I would freak out. Like I am some kind of commoner.”  

“Just get on with it,” Eva said, sipping her tea.

Issei gulped. “Well, I’m just a regular high school student. Nothing special. Average grades. Average strength. Average life.”

He paused.

“And?” Issei coughed awkwardly, cheeks going red. “I’m also a huge pervert.”

Silence.

Nyaruko tilted her head. “Define huge.”

“I love women,” Issei continued if anything he started to get passionate with his answer. “Specifically... women with big oppa!”

Nyaruko squealed, clapping. “Darling is a man of culture~!”

Eva didn’t react at all. “So you’re a teenage boy. Not exactly shocking.”

Issei blinked. “Wait. You’re not mad?”

Eva shrugged. “I’ve met worse. At least you’re honest.”

Kaguya, on the other hand, visibly recoiled. “You my summoner?! Are a hormonal ape with aspirations of degeneracy.”

“You said you wouldn’t freak out!” Issei said.

Kaguya sniffed, arms crossed. “You’d better behave yourself around me, husband. I may be small, but I still wield divine might.”

Nyaruko, however, leaned in, grinning. “You can touch me inappropriately if you want, darling~!”

“Don’t worry,” Issei said quickly, looking specifically at Kaguya and Evangeline. “I would never touch you inappropriately! I’m not a lolicon!”

The temperature dropped as the atmosphere turned frosty.

Kaguya and Eva both stared at him with slow-building fury.

Kaguya’s voice went ice-cold. “...And what exactly do you mean by that?”

Evangeline’s cup slowly lowered. “Explain.”

Issei froze. “Uh… I mean, you two look young, so I wouldn’t, like… touch you or anything!”

Silence.

Kaguya stood up, her aura vibrating with barely restrained fury. “You dare imply that because of my cursed, eternal youth, I am off-limits?!”

“I’m not a child.” Evangeline hissed. “I’ll have you know that thousands have said how lucky they would be to have me as a wife.” 

Issei held up his hands. “Whoa! I didn’t mean it like that! I was trying to say I will respect your boundaries!”

Eva snapped. “At least stop implying we’re undateable just because we don’t have jiggling  breasts!”

“I NEVER SAID THAT!”

“Your eyes did!” Kaguya accused, pointing a finger as she noticed the looks of disappointment whenever his eyes landed on them.

Miki cleared her throat loudly, breaking the tension. “Ladies,” she said, smiling sweetly, “Why don’t we give Issei a moment to stop digging his own grave?”

The three girls simmered down. Slightly.

Eva exhaled. “Regardless of your poor taste in women, there’s no way a higher being gave you this power just because you screamed about having your own harem.”

Kaguya nodded. “Agreed. There must be a deeper reason.”

Nyaruko added, “Other than being totally adorable when you panic~”

“You’re not helping,” Issei muttered again with a blush.

Eva folded her arms. “We’ll find out what’s going on. Count on it.”

Kaguya nodded regally. “Prepare yourself, Issei. We will begin experiments.”

Issei froze. “...What kind of experiments?”

“Personality analysis. Magical diagnostics. Bloodline testing. Possibly some invasive soul observation,” Kaguya said casually.

“And maybe some cuddling to establish emotional bonding~” Nyaruko added.

Eva rolled her eyes. “We will not be cuddling.”

“I make no promises!” Nyaruko chirped.

Issei groaned into his hands. ‘Why is this my life now…?’

—----------------------------------------

The door creaked open.

Issei Hyoudou stood in the doorway of his room, praying to the Mother of a Thousand Young that the girls would be merciful.

They were not.

Nyaruko blinked. Kaguya’s eyes narrowed. Evangeline tilted her head slightly, then they all entered and froze in place.

Every inch of the room was covered in degeneracy incarnate: Posters of gravure idols in suggestive poses lined the walls. A mountain of Oppai Heaven and Milky Princess EX DVDs sat by the TV. Anime figurines—half-naked maids, magical girls with physics-defying chests, and suspiciously young demon queens—stared unblinking from the shelves. There was even a Dakimakura (body pillow) of a silver-haired anime girl in a wedding dress leaning against the corner of his bed.

The silence was suffocating.

“…So,” Evangeline said dryly, “This is where dignity goes to die.”

Issei flinched.

Kaguya slowly used her hand to cover the disgust on her face. “Unbelievable. You sleep in a shrine to perversion.”

“I-It's not that bad!” Issei defended, arms out like he was shielding his prized possessions from incoming fire. “Please! Just—just leave it alone!”

Nyaruko tilted her head, finger on her lip. “Darling, is this how you express love? Through… figurines?”

“L-Look, I-it’s just part of my collection! My personal treasure trove! You can’t just—!”

But it was too late.

Kaguya daintily walked over to a shelf and plucked a DVD from it between two fingers like it was a used tissue.

“Big Bouncy Onee-chan Adventures: Volume 7.” she read aloud, face deadpan. “Husband explain.”

“I—uh—It has a really emotional arc in episode 4?”

Kaguya turned and tossed the DVD into a pile with disgust. “This room is unfit for living. If I’m to reside here, this filth goes.”

Nyaruko nodded enthusiastically. “And you won’t need these anymore, darling! You’ve got me now~! I’ll pose in any outfit you like! Maid, bunny girl, spaceship commander—just say the word~!”

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT—!” But he was ignored.

Eva snapped her fingers. “Clear the desk. Burn the mags. Dump the pillows.”

“NOOOO!”

An hour later, the room had undergone a holy purge.

The posters were taken down. The DVDs vanished into trash bags. The body pillow had been exorcised with salt and Nyaruko’s flamethrower.

Issei sat on the floor, curled in the fetal position, a single tear sliding down his cheek. “My precious… gone…”

Miki peeked in from the hallway. “Issei, sweetie, it smells much nicer in here now!”

“NOT THE POINT, MOM!”

Gorou added cheerfully, “You’ve got real girls now! Proud of you, son!”

Eva stepped over Issei’s broken spirit like she was avoiding a puddle. “Enough whining. Time to figure out why the universe picked you.”

Issei lifted his face just enough to blink at her. “Do you still care about that?”

Kaguya nodded. “Absolutely. You’re an anomaly.”

“A dumb one,” Evageline muttered.

Issei groaned and rolled onto his back. “What am I supposed to do?”

Eva crouched beside him, grabbing a cushion and placing it in front of him like a meditation mat. “Sit. Cross your legs, clear your mind and focus.”

“Uh... I don’t know how to meditate?”

Kaguya sighed like a disappointed teacher. “Honestly. You didn’t even attempt it.”

“I was busy crying!”

“Shut up and sit,” Eva said.

He complied, awkwardly folding his legs and sitting upright, arms limp.

“Back straight.”

“I feel ridiculous…”

“Clear your mind,” Kaguya added. “Like an empty moonlit lake.”

Nyaruko sat beside him, mimicking his pose but with her hands forming a heart instead of a mudra. “Oooooooommm~! Grant us wisdom~!”

“Clear your thoughts,” Eva repeated, closing her eyes. “Breathe in. Breathe out.”

Issei tried. He breathed. ‘Inhale… exhale… don’t think about your destroyed DVD collection… don’t think about your figurines suffering in a trash bag outside…’

“Stop whimpering,” Eva snapped.

“I’M NOT!”

“You’re ruining the atmosphere,” Kaguya added.

Nyaruko poked him on the cheek. “Want me to hum anime openings to soothe you~?”

The two ancient immortal women groaned in unison.

Eva finally pinched the bridge of her nose. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

Issei sat uncomfortably on the cushion, legs numb, arms limp at his sides. But soon he was able to find peace as he closed his eyes.

Evangeline stood at his side, her fingers elegantly weaving through the air, red and blue light dancing between them. Kaguya stood opposite her, eyes half-lidded in concentration. Nyaruko sat cross-legged behind Issei, watching with a suspicious pout on her face.

“Beginning full resonance scan,” Evageline murmured, her voice echoing unnaturally in the small space.

Kaguya nodded. “Synchronization complete. Soul exposure in progress.”

Nyaruko’s ahoge twitched violently. “You better not break anything in my precious darling~! I just got him and I don’t have the warranty!”

Eva scoffed. “I’m not an amateur. His brain will remain un-scrambled.”

Kaguya added calmly, “And if we do break something, I can revert his body to its default state.”

The room filled with a low thrumming sound as magic circles appeared and pulsed brighter. Runic glyphs spun around Issei, scanning deeper—past skin, muscle, and bone—into the strange well of energy at his core.

Minutes passed.

Silence.

Nothing.

“...He’s normal,” Kaguya said, disappointed. “Utterly average.”

Eva frowned. “No irregular arcane flow. No divine anchors. Not even a sealed curse…”

But soon the light of the circles flickered.

The magic pulsed once. Then again.

Then exploded into red and black as their shape shattered into spiraling helixes of chaotic magic.

“What the hell?!” Eva shouted, stepping back.

“Impossible!” Kaguya gasped, shielding her face.

The room roared to life—literally—as an earth-shaking dragon’s bellow thundered through the walls. The glass of Issei’s window shattered violently, showering the room in glittering shards. The floor trembled. The magic circles convulsed, unable to contain the presence that had been sleeping deep within.

All three girls were thrown back by the sheer pressure—slammed against walls, rolling across the carpet like tossed dolls.

Issei’s eyes shot open. He bolted upright, coughing and dizzy. “Wh-What the hell just happened?!”

Smoke lingered. Sparks sizzled in the air.

And amidst the chaos, he saw one of them, Evangeline lying closest, her small frame unmoving, her blonde hair splayed across the floor.

Panic flooded him. He rushed forward, heart hammering, and dropped to his knees beside her. “Eva?! Are you okay?! Say something—please!”

He gently lifted her up, cradling her carefully.

Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first. “...You’re... holding me.”

“Y-Yeah, you fainted or got hit—I don’t know—are you hurt?”

‘Why does he sound so sincere? I’m a vampire. We’ve known each other less than a day. Why is he—?’ She blinked, her brain catching up to her surroundings. Her pupils refocused on his face—too close, too warm, too sincere.

Her cheeks instantly flushed. ‘What... is this strange feeling? He looks like an idiot. But his eyes... Is he worried for me? Me?’

She suddenly shoved him back with a stiff palm to the chest. “Don’t get the wrong idea,” She snapped, sitting up quickly. “I don’t need your concern.”

Issei fell back with a grunt. “Geez, fine. Sorry for caring...”

But she turned away, one hand pressed against her cheek. The blush refused to fade.

Across the room, a familiar, giddy voice rang out.

“WHAT A RUSH~!” Nyaruko laughed, sitting up with singed hair and a dazed expression. “I haven’t felt like that since that time I headbutted a Psychic Shroom!”

Issei turned. “You’re okay?”

“Better than okay!” She giggled. “Darling’s got a dragon inside him! Rawr~!”

A few feet away, Kaguya groaned, eyes spinning. She clutched her head as her senses tried to reboot. “Wh-What was that pressure…?”

Then—click—her body glowed faintly. With a shimmer, her balance and composure returned.

“I’m fine,” She said stiffly, dusting herself off. “But whatever’s in you, Husband. It’s not normal.”

“No kidding,” Issei muttered. “What even was that?”

Nyaruko giggled again. “Darling’s got a sexy soul-beast hiding inside.”

Kaguya, now sitting upright, looked far too pleased with herself. A soft, smug smile spread across her face. “Well, I suppose this confirms it,” she said, voice light but dripping with superiority. “My husband is indeed special.”

Issei then looked around. His bed had been knocked sideways, his wall had cracks around it, and the shattered window whistled faintly in the breeze.

Then realization struck.

“MY ROOM! MY ROOM’S DESTROYED! WH—HOW AM I GONNA FIX THIS?!” He staggered to his feet, flailing dramatically.

Kaguya rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers.

A ripple of golden light spread from her hand, expanding outward like a reverse explosion. The walls reassembled. The furniture righted itself. The posters flattened and zipped back into place. Even the glass shards lifted from the floor, floating back into the frame until the window was good as new.

Everything was clean.

Not even dust remained.

Issei, seeing this, immediately dropped to his knees and bowed deeply. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you—”

Kaguya huffed proudly, folding her arms beneath her chest. “As expected of me. Truly, it is your greatest fortune to have a wife so competent.”

Eva, still sitting on the floor with her knees drawn up, turned to him with a sharp look. “Hyoudou,” She said seriously. “Did you know there was a dragon inside your soul?”

Issei blinked, still half-bowed. “Huh?”

“A dragon,” Eva repeated, standing up. “Sleeping inside your soul. Powerful. Ancient. Incomplete.”

Issei pointed at himself, wide-eyed. “Inside me is a dragon?!”

Kaguya nodded, adjusting her sleeves elegantly. “That must be the reason the system chose you. No doubt that thing inside you is connected to some deep, cosmic power.”

Nyaruko leaned against him from behind, grinning ear to ear. “Ufufu~! I knew it~! My darling is special with secret powers! So cool~!”

Issei groaned, falling onto his back. “Why do I feel like I’m the only one surprised by this…”

Eva crouched again, her gaze serious. “Now that we’ve confirmed it, we need to start unlocking it.”

“Huh?”

Kaguya stepped forward, crossing her arms. “Indeed. If we are bound to you, then your survival directly impacts ours. The sooner you gain control of your power, the longer we all stay alive.”

Nyaruko raised her hand like she was volunteering for class. “And the sooner I get to see you do cool moves in slow-motion shirtless fight scenes!”

Issei stared at them. “Wait… you want me to train?”

“Obviously,” Eva said flatly. “Starting tomorrow.”

Kaguya nodded. “Proper spiritual conditioning. Magic resistance. Possibly even chi realignment if necessary.”

He rubbed his eyes, only to pause as a glance toward the window revealed the darkening sky.

“Crap. It’s already night…” He stood and stretched, his body finally feeling the weight of the day’s madness. “Alright, alright—training starts tomorrow. I’ve got school in the morning.”

He turned to the girls, suddenly aware of a very important issue.

“Right. Uh... sleeping arrangements.”

The three girls turned to him with expectant looks.

“I’ll sleep in the guest room. You three can take the bed in here.”

Kaguya’s brow twitched. “This is the room you give your noble wife? Small and cramped?”

“It’s clean now…” Issei muttered.

Kaguya sighed but relented. “Fine. I suppose even a floor fit for peasants can be a bed for a moon princess.”

Eva sat back down, picking up the remote. “I don’t sleep. I’ll take the couch. I want to see what kind of garbage TV your world offers.”

Nyaruko beamed. “I’ll sleep wherever Darling sleeps~!”

Issei raised a brow. “You’re staying in here.”

Nyaruko pouted but nodded. “Fiiiiine. But I want the left side of the bed.”

“You’re not getting the bed!”

“I already am~!”

—----------------------------

Eventually, after a surprisingly calm goodnight, Issei left the room, shoulders slumping as he made his way toward the guest room.

The moment he collapsed onto the futon, exhaustion hit him like a truck. ‘Finally… peace.’

He shut his eyes, letting his body sink into blessed rest. Only to feel something soft and curvy wrap around his torso a minute later.

“Darling~ You’re warm~”

“NYARUKO?!”

“Shhh~ Let’s cuddle!!”

He opened his eyes.

There she was.

Silver hair. Bright grin. Full pajamas that she somehow acquired..

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE SLEEPING IN MY ROOM!”

“I lied~♥”

Issei stared at the ceiling.

—--------------------------

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Evangeline sat with her legs folded under her, a bowl of popcorn in hand and her gaze glued to the TV.

“...This reality show is dumber than I expected. I love it.”

Done. Tell me what you think and if I made any mistakes. If you're wondering where the first chapter is. I am currently working on getting it posted again. But if I can't, I'll post it on another site. Commission for Deus Ex Mina.